Improvement in cartridge-loading implements



' 23Sheets-Shea.v G. J. ST'ODDARD.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING IMPLEMENT. No. 172,201. 4 Patented. Jan. 11,1876.

MX ZZZZM No.17Z,ZO1.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.'

c. J. STO DDARD. CARTRIDGE-LOADING IMPLEMENT.

vIFaJcented. J'an.11,1876.

NPEIERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHEE. WASHINGTON. D c.

' andDistrict of reference CHARLES J. STODDABD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRIGT OF COLUMBIA.

I IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGE-LOADING IMPLEMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,20H, dated January 11, 1876 application filed December 15-, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it knownthat I, OHARLESJ STODDARD, of Washington, in the county of Washington Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements "in Implements for- Loading and Manipulating Oartridges; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of referen co m arked thereon, which form apart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete tool or implement. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly insection, the loading or guiding tube having been removed. Fig. 3 shows the method of removing the exploded caps from the shells. Fig. 4. is a bottom or under view of my improved implement. Fig. 5,is a top View, showing the configuration of the button or handle. Fig. 6 shows the method of capping the shell. Fig. 7 shows the method of loading. Fig. 8 shows the method of creasing or cutting the shell. Fig. 9 is a crosssection of the loading or guiding tube in the plane indicated by the line as m in- Fig. 1; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the peculiarlys'haped pin which forms the bead around the top edge of-the loaded shell.

. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to that class of tools or implements that are used for loading and manipulating the shells, made of metal or paper, used in breech-loading fire-arms; and it consists in' thenovel construction and combination of parts of a single tool or implement whereby the various operations of extracting the exploded shells, removing the exploded caps, recapping, loading, creasing, cutting, and heading, which various operations or manipulations are now performed bya variety of difl'er'ent tools, may be performed by this one single tool or implement, which is of such a size and shape that it may be easily carried.

in the pocket.

The object of my invention is to avoid the accumulation of a variety of cumbersome and expensive tools that are now necessary in order 1 a sides or faces, 51(18.

,of the screw a, threaded recess,

to properly manipulate the cartridges for breech-loadin g fire-arms, so that all these various manipulations may be performed with my improved implement, thereby saving expense, time, room, labor, and annoyance to the sportsman.

I shall now proceed to describe the various uses of my improved implement in the order n which these have been enumerated above.

To extract the exploded shells, if they should stick in the barrels, I employ the handle or button A, which has, for this purpose, (see Fig. 5,) a crescent-shaped recess that will fit over the rim or flange of the shell.

of the tool below the button affords a convenient grip or handle, or jerk of the hand the removed.

The next operation is to remove the exploded cap. This is done, as shown in Fig. 3, .by placing the shell over a center, and reversing the button 0 (shown in Fig. 2) to the position represented in Fig. This button has a central pin, a, on one of its and a screw, 0, on the opposite The pin base, of a diameter and thread equal to that both of which fit into a screwd and screwed home.

The shell having been placed. in position upon the block B, the cylinder D with its but-- ton O is inserted, and a tap or blow of thehand upon the handle Aforces theexploded cap out. The'recessed block Bis not essential to this operation, as the caps by simply'holdi'ng the shell forcing the cylinder D and pin a through it may be removed With the other but Iprefer to use it, as some times more convenient. a

, Nextcomes the operation of recapping. This 1 .is done by inserting the shell through the ring E, which forms the connection between the, i button or handle 'A and cylinder D, and is of {a diameter equal to that of the body of the shell, sothat when this is inserted, as shown in Fig. 6, the rim or flange g of the shell will"; rest upon the top edge of the ring E. "This.

The body.

and by a slight pull empty shell is easily block of wood or' metal, B, having a hole or recess, b, in thea, has a screw-thread at its.

d, bored centrally in the end of the cylinder D, as shown in Fig. 2. When not in use, the pin a is inserted into the recess in one hand and,

done, the lever-arm F, which is pivoted to the back of the button A at f, and has a projecting annular shoulder, 0, so arranged that when the lever F is depressed this shoulder will be exactlyin the center of E, is pressed down,-

a recess in the stop h, carries the lever-arm F (of which the shoulder e forms'part) in a true vertical direction without possibility of lateral motion, even if the hinge or pivot f, by constant use, should become worn and loosened.

By placing the shell within'the rin'g E in the manner described the pressure brought to bear upon the cap will not depress the body of the cartridge, as in those capping devices where the shell is placed erect'upon a block or base, and has to sustain the entire pressure, this being objectionable where paper shells are used, as it is apt to bend or wrinkle the paper body of the shell.

The shell having been capped, it is removed from thering-support E and placed within the loading tube G, Fig. 7. This tube has a flaring mouth, provided with an inside annular shoulder, 9, against which the top rim of the shell willahut .when inserted. The charge is then inserted, and rammed home with the cylinder D, the exterior tube G preventing wriggling or oscillation of the shell while this is being done, and also preventing expansion of The cylinder D, as will be seen on the'drawings, terminates at its upper part in a concave neck, D,-which'unites it to the stop It, ring E, and button or handle A. The object of this configuration of the neck or shank D (being of a smaller diameter than cylinder D) is to reduce the weight of'the implement, and also to harmonize and thereof.

The next operation, when paper shells are used, is creasing. This is done by pushing the loaded shell partly out of the tube G until the conical stop it falls within the flaring mouth of said tube, as shown in Fig. 8. This brings that part of the shell which contains the charge outside of .the tube G, the top wad abutting'against the end of the cylinder D. .With the cartridge in this position,-the tube G is turned around D until the guide-arm 7c of the lever F falls into one of the perforations 5 in the flaring rim of G, that is opposite to a slit, m, in the other end of the tube, the stop .h being recessed vertically to accommodate the guide k, which, when' inserted in this position, will prevent the tube G from turning. The arm F, which has a creaser-wheel n, affixed to its outer end, is then pressed down, the wheel n fitting into the slot min tube beautify the proportions G, and in this position, while pressure is, brought to bear upon the arm F, theeartridge is slowly turned, the wheel it thus torming a, I I

crease or indentation of the cartridge immediately above the uppermost "wad. Duringv this operation, as in the operation of loading, the cartridge is prevented fromwriggling or oscillating by the exterior tube G, between which and the elongated cylinder D the upper empty part of the cartridge is firmly kept permitting of a rotating, but not of a lateral, perfect and even crease is" motion, so that a formed.

It it is desired to cut oflf the upper empty part of the cartridge, then this is done in.the

following manner: At a short distance from the slot m, in the cylindrical tube G, is an-" other slot, 0. To the outside of thetube, opposite to the slots in and 0, is secured a steel "spring,H, Fig. 9, having a knife-point, p, af-

fixed at that end which is just opposite to the slot 0, and a pin, r, affixed to the other curved end, which is opposite to the slot m. I ,By

pressing upon one end of the spring 11,19 is forced through the slot or opening 0, and,'by

pressing upon the other end, 7' is forced through m. Pressure is brought to bear upon either side of the spring by the lever-arm F, the, guide 70 of which is inserted into a perforation or guide-hole, t, in the tube G, that is-placed just longitudinally opposite to that of the slots in or 0, through which the -operation.(of

cutting or heading) is to take place. This will, in cutting, .be the opening 0, through which theknife-point p is forced by the wheel a pressing against that side of the spring H,

so that the knife-point p will pass through the paper shell, by rotating which a clean annuposite to the opening m. This pin is of the form shown in Fig. 10, and, when forcedthrough the slot m, will fit the beveled end 8. of cylinder D, 'falling into the longitudinal slot or recess 8; or it may be so arranged as to project beyond it, as is preferred, when the spring H is set, and it is firmly held in this position during the operation of beading, either vby the thurnb'or by the-lever F. That portion of the shell which has been cut on, remains inside of the tube G, encircling the cylinder D, thereby keeping said cylinder at an equal distance all around-from the. ,inside surface of tube G, thus facilitating the. pro. .cess of crimping, which is next, to take'pla'ce.

.T0 at this the crimping or beading. pin t, depressed, and the edge of the shell forced against it. While in this position the shelliiis turned round within tube 'G,"whiel1 steadies' -jit, sop-that a perfectly smooth an'djeveri head is turned by the pin r. It may sometime'sl'be foundconvenient to use the- QIBQSQIl-Whlfl to perform the operation of crimping by forcing the end of the shell against it and then turning it (the shell) around; but, generally, the method first mentioned-that is, by using the pin ris the better. V

The operation of crimping or beading completes the job, and the cartridge is ready for use. When metallic shells are used the creasing, cutting, and heading, are, of course, dispensed with; otherwise the modus operandz' is the same.

The advantages of this implement are obvious: it does away with the numerous different tools now required to perform the various operations or manipulations, thereby saving expense, labor, and room; it may be carried conveniently in the pocket, and can be used in the field as well as at home; it entirely overcomes the most serious objection to the general introduction of breech-loading guns for sporting purposesviz., that it required too many expensive tools to prepare the cartridges. Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The loading and guiding tube G, having a flaring mouth, provided with an inside annular shoulder, g, and perforations i, slots m 0, and spring H, the latter secured by its middle crosswise upon said tube, and having a knife-point, p, and bead-pin r secured on op posite sides, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

2. The reversible button 0, having a pin, a, with a screw-threaded base, and opposite screw-tenon c, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

3. The combination of the cylinder D, having a central longitudinal recess, d, with the reversible button 0, having the pin a and screw 0 secured on opposite sides thereof, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

4. The cylinder D, having an annular bevel or depression, 8, and a mortise or recess, 3, at right angles thereto, substantially. as and for the purpose shown and specified.

5. The ring or shell-seat E, in combination with the lever-arm F, having a projection, e, and guide is for carrying the projection e to the center of the seat E, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

6. The combined handle and extractor A, consisting of a knob or button, affixed to the end of the cylinder D, having a crescentshaped recess, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

7. The combination of the beveled cylinder D, shell-seat E, button A, and lever-arm F, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

8. The combination of the hollow cylinder G, having guide-holes t, with the cylinder D and lever-arm F, the latter having the guide is, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

9. The lever-arm F, having the annular shoulder or projection 0, guide 70, and creaser Wheel or bit a, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

10. As a new article of manufacture, the implement for loading and manipulating cartridges herein described, consisting of the beveled and recessed cylinder D, having shank D and stop h, annular ring or shell-seat E, button A, lever-arm F, tube G, and reversible button 0, all constructed and arranged for operation substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim theibregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

LOUIS BAGGER, WM. BAGGER. 

